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Otero Canyon
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Itinerary
Otero Canyon 
 

Difficulty: 4

Description:  Otero Canyon provides beautiful vistas of Mt Ord, Four Peaks, Sugarloaf Mountain, Black Mountain and Weaver’s Needle.  The trail is a mix of sandy wash and low-lying boulder wash beds.  The main obstacle, Rocker Panel Pass, is 100 yards of a mixture of tight turns around large, panel grabbing boulders.  Expect desert pin striping and a high probability of rear quarter panel “modification”.

Distance: 13 miles

Time: 6 hours

To the trailhead:  Take Highway 87 north and turn left just past mile marker 207. 

The trail: 

Odometer

GPS
(see gpx file)

 

 

 

Enter gate onto dirt road and continue several hundred yards to open dirt area. Good spot to air down.

0

 

Turning right at the open dirt area, you will see a faded FS 160 marker. Follow this road.

.3

 

Several roads funnel together here. Cross the wash and follow it northwest.

.45

 

Turn left out of wash.

.64

 

Bear left and cross creek.

.8

 

Water crossing exits onto a sandy wash.

1.12

 

Turn left and follow sandy wash trail.

1.68

 

Turn left into wash.

 

 

At the fork, veer right (left is rocky)

1.1

 

Water crossing.

1.3

 

Veer left (left is sandy, right is boulders)

 

 

FSR 160 sign on the left

2.5

 

Wash narrows and you arrive at the start of Rocker Panel Pass.

3.2

 

Top of dirt hill. Continue straight ahead.

 

 

Turn right onto FS 1855.

3.6

 

Bear right at fork and continue southwest.

 

 

 

3.9

 

Arrive at the top pf a small hill.  At the T, turn left.  Black mountain is on the left.

4.2

 

Fork left.

 

 

Drop into sandy wash.

5.7

 

Road uphill to right goes to the Rock and Wall play areas. Fork left.

6.2

 

Fork left into sandy wash/boulder area.

6.7

 

Turn left and follow sandy wash.

6.9

 

Track right

7.2

 

Return to river bed. Concrete retainer on the right.

10

 

Follow the main road back to highway 87 turnoff.

References

Kopycinski, J. (2007) Otero Canyon: A Rocky Desert Trek. Off Road, 41(9), 26-27.